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This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 24 February 2025. Enclaved Holy See's independent city-state This article is about the city-state in Europe. For the city-state's government, see Holy See. Vatican City State Stato della Città del Vaticano (Italian) Status Civitatis Vaticanae (Latin) Flag Coat of arms Anthem: Inno e Marcia Pontificale ...
Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected monarchy that is ruled by the Bishop of Rome — the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Catholic Church . It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See ( Latin : Sancta Sedes ) and the location of the Apostolic Palace — the Pope's official residence — and the Roman Curia .
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.28 to 1.39 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2024. [4] [5] [9] It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization.
The overall plane of Vatican City is an irregular quadrilateral. The main building, St. Peter's Church and the square occupy most of the southern section of the eastern half of the Vatican City. [24] The Sistine Chapel in the northwest of St. Peter's Church is opposite to the Pope's glimpse hall in the west.
The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani; Latin: Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries, including several of the most well-known Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in ...
Only three cardinal electors are permitted to communicate with the outside world under grave circumstances, prior to approval of the college, to fulfill their duties: the Major Penitentiary, the cardinal vicar for the Diocese of Rome, and the vicar general for the Vatican City State.
Vatican City State has no military, but resident within it is the Swiss Guard. A Swiss Guard. Military in Vatican City. Command Commander-in-chief: Christoph Graf; Forces — Vatican City lies within Rome, the capital of Italy, and therefore defense is the responsibility of Italy. Army of Vatican City: none, see Military in Vatican City; Army ...
Vatican City frequently stands out in per capita and per area statistical comparisons, primarily due to its tiny size and unique ecclesiastical function. [23] For instance, because most citizenship-granting positions are held by men, Vatican City’s gender ratio skews significantly male, with several men per woman among citizens. [ 9 ]